Combination adjustable leg rest and container



July 16, 1963 s. N. SMALL 3,097,385

COMBINATION ADJUSTABLE LEG REST AND CONTAINER Filed Jan. 26, 1962 INVENTOR. 5AMUL N SMALL.

HTTORA/E Y United States Patent 3,097,886 COMBINATION ADJUSTABLE LEG REST AND CONTAINER Samuel N. Small, Valley Stream, N .Y., assignor to Alfred G. Cohen and Paul Weiss, both of Flushing, NY. Filed Jan. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 168,938 Claims. (Cl. 297-439) This invention relates to what are generally identified as adjustable ottomans, but herein referred to as an adjustable leg rest. More particularly, the invention deals with a. device of this type and kind, wherein the main casing portion of the device forms a container for storage of articles of various types and kinds and, particularly, magazines, books or the like.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a device of the character described employing a hardware unit which is pre-assembled and, then, fixed to the inner surface of a Wall of the casing portion of the device to operatively engage the hinged leg rest portion of the device in support of the latter in at least two diiferent raised positions.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a side of a device made according to my invention, illustrating the leg rest portion of the device in fully raised position, with parts of the construction broken away and parts shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, showing only a part of the construction and illustrating support of the leg res-t portion in a lowered position from that illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, showing the leg rest portion in fully lowered position, with part of the construction broken away and in section; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic section on the broken line 44 of FIG. 1.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention, I have shown the device as comprising a rectangular casing portion 10, comprising primarily peripheral side and end walls, one of the side walls being clearly shown at 11 in FIG. 1 of the drawing and in section in FIG. 4 and, from the standpoint of use of the device, the wall 11 can be considered a trout wall from the standpoint of facing the chair in which the occupant is sitting in using the adjustable leg rest device. The walls of the casing portion 10 have grooved lower edges, as indicated at 12 in FIG. 4 of the drawing, in which is seated and secured a bottom wall 13. The groove in one of the end walls is indicated at 12 at the right of FIG. 1. Secured to the bottom wall 113 at the four corner portions of 10 are depending leg members 14, one complete leg member being indicated at the right of FIG. 1 and part of another leg member being shown at the left of FIG. 1 and also in FIG. 4 of the drawing. The leg members have projecting threaded fasteners 15 at their upper ends passed through apertures 16 in the bottom wall 13, the leg members being held in position by nuts 17. Each of the leg members will have suitable finishing feet 18, one of which is indicated at the right of FIG. 1 of the drawing.

In the present adaptation of my invention, the wall members of the casing portion are of irregular crosssectional contour, as indicated in FIG. 4, and these walls can be formed of any desired material, wood being prefenable.

Hinged to the other long side of the casing portion 10 is a leg rest portion 19, one of these hinges being 'ice illustrated, in part, at 20 in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The leg rest portion again comprises an oblong rectangular frame, the front wall of which is illustrated partially in section at 21 in FIG. 4 of the drawing. To this frame is attached a top wall 22, again shown in part in FIG. 4 of the drawing, and upon this wall is arranged a suitable cushioning or padding material 23 held in place by a suitable fabric covering 24, the latter passing downwardly over the frame 21, as indicated at 25, and then upwardly upon the inner surface of the frame 21, as indicated at 26. These portions of the covering are fixed to the frame in any suitable manner. Secured to the inner surface of the frame 21 at spaced intervals are inwardly projecting blocks 27 shown, in part, in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

At 28 I have shown what I generally refer to as a hardware unit, in other words, a pre-assembled unit of the operative parts for support of the leg rest portion in raised position with respect to the casing portion, which unit is attached to the inner surface of the wall 11 of the casing portion, as will clearly appear from a consideration of FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawing. The unit 28 comprises two similar dog-type levers 29, each lever comprising a lower generally triangular portion 30, one corner portion of which is apertured to receive a fastener screw 31, on which spacer washers 32 are arranged for proper location of the levers 29 within the casing portion 10, these washers being indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawing. The triangular portions 30 of the levers 29 are coupled together by a link 33 pivoted to each of the triangular portions, as indicated at 34 and 35 in FIG. 1 of the drawing, the pivotal coupling of 34 being indicated in sectional detail in FIG. 4 of the drawing. The link 33 serves to definitely couple and space the levers 29 in forming the pre-a-ssembled unit and controlling definite spacing of the levers one with respect to the other, thereby simplifying attachment of the unit to the wall 11.

The link 33 has a notch 36 in the upper edge thereof which is adapted to register with a notch 37 in the upper edge of the front wall 11 when the leg rest portion is in fully collapsed position, as noted in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The upper edge of the wall 11 has another notch 37' to the left of the notch 3'7, as viewed in FIG. 1, the purpose of which will later appear.

The upper righthand part of the triangular portion 30 of each lever 29 has a bearing portion 38 forming one of the supports for the leg rest 19, as seen in FIG. 2. The triangular portion 30 of each lever also includes a projecting arm 39, having a rounded end 40 adapted to 0peratively engage the blocks 27 in forming the other support for the leg rest 19, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing and also indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawing. One side of the arm 39 is notched, as seen at 41, and mounted in the notch 41 is a long arm 42 of a bracket 43 riveted or otherwise secured to the am 39, as indicated at 44. The arms 42 are of sufficient length to seat in the notches 37, 37 of the wall 11. A coil spring 45 is employed to move the unit 28 automatically from the FIG. 3 position to the position shown in FIGS. 2 or 1 when 19 is raised by hand. The spring 45 also serves to counterbalance, at least in part, the leg rest portion 19. The spring 45 has one end fixed at a suitable position to the wall 11, as indicated at 46; whereas, the other end of the spring is coupled with a formed hook portion 47 on the lower edge of the link 33 adjacent the pivot 34.

In pnactice, the leg rest 19 is raised by hand from the position illustrated, in part, in FIG. 3, to either the position of FIG. 2, or to the position of FIGS. 1 and 4. In this upward movement, the unit 28 automatically raised by the spring 45. When 19 is in the position of FIG. 2, it will be apparent that the bearing portion 38 is positioned directly above 31 and, in like manner, when 19 is in the fully raised position, the rounded end 40 of the arm 39 is above 31. These features apply to both of the levers 29. In the above described automatic movement of the unit 28, this upward movement is checked by a stop pin 48 secured to the wall 11, as illustrated, in section, at the right of FIG. 1 of the drawing. The arm 42 can be used to move the unit 28 from either the FIG. 1 position, or the FIG. 2 position, to the position shown in FIG. 3.

The edge portions 36 of the triangular portions 30 of each lever 29 will be arranged adjacent and adapted to bear upon one edge of each of the blocks 27, as indicated by the edge 27' in FIG. 3 of the drawing, thus giving the assisted lift to the leg rest portion by the spring 45, as previously stated.

The casing portion forms, in the upper surface thereof, a storage compartment 49, as will clearly appear from a consideration of FIG. 4 of the drawing, and this compartment is only blocked to the extent of the arrangement of the unit 28 therein and, further, obstructed to a slight extent by the nuts 17, securing the legs in position. This compartment can be utilized for the storage of articles of any type or kind and, particularly, such articles as magazines, books and the like, it being understood that the leg rest portion can be swung upwardly beyond the position of FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawing in gaining access to the compartment 49.

For purposes of description, the casing portion may be regarded as the base of the device and the leg rest portion may be regarded as the hinged top. Also, it is to be borne in mind that the hardware unit is a support unit, having the means for support of the hinged top in at least two different raised positions. It will also be apparent that a space is formed in the top or leg rest portion registering with the compartment 49, so that articles stored in the compartment may extend above the height of the walls of the compartment. This space further receives part of the levers 29, as will appear from a consideration of FIG. 3 of the drawing.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character defined comprising a base part, a top part hingedly supported in connection with the base part, said parts having front walls, a support unit pivotally supported in connection with and movable longitudinally of the front wall of one of said parts and operatively engaging means on the front wall of the other of said parts for support of said top part in different raised positions with respect to the base part, and means coupled with said unit whereby said support unit is moved automatically into operative position in manual movement of the top part in said dilferent raised positions.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said unit includes means engaging one of said parts for checking movement of said unit in one of its top part supporting positions.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said unit comprises a lever having spaced supports controlling different raised supports of the top part.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein said lever includes a projecting fingerpiece portion for movement of the unit into inoperative position.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said base part comprises a casing having a compartment therein, legs for supporting said casing, and said unit, for the most part, being housed within one of said parts when the top part is in closed position.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said last named means comprises a spring, and said spring being coupled with one of said parts.

7. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said unit comprises a pair of levers, a link pivoted to and joining said levers, said last named means comprising a spring coupled with one of said parts and normally urging the levers of the unit into raised operative position, and the major portion of said unit being housed within the part to which said unit is attached when the top part is in closed position on the base part.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein said levers include means for support of the top part in a partially raised position.

9. A support unit for retaining one part in spaced relation to another associated part, said unit comprising a pair of fiat levers, each lever having pivot means on one of said parts, an elongated link having ends pivoted to said levers in spaced relation to the pivot means thereof, said link widely spacing and alining said levers on said one part, a stop on said one part checking movement of said unit into support position, and tensional means engaging said one part in normally urging said unit into support position.

10. A unit as defined in claim 9, wherein said levers include other means engaging one of said parts in support of said parts in a partially spaced position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 459,312 Sauer Sept. 8, 1891 1,720,102 Streit July 9, 1929 2,566,498 Revercomb Sept. 4, 1951 2,850,081 Dillon Sept. 2, 1958 2,994,364 Gleitsm an et a1. Aug. 1, 1961 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DEFINED COMPRISING A BASE PART, A TOP PART HINGEDLY SUPPORTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE BASE PART, SAID PARTS HAVING FRONT WALLS, A SUPPORT UNIT PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED IN CONNECTION WITH AND MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF THE FRONT WALL OF ONE OF SAID PARTS AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING MEANS ON THE FRONT WALL OF THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS FOP SUPPORT OF SAID TOP PART IN DIFFERENT RAISED POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE BASE PART, AND MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID UNIT WHEREBY SAID SUPPORT UNIT IS MOVED AUTOMATICALLY INTO OPERATIVE POSITION IN MANUAL MOVEMENT OF THE TOP PART IN SAID DIFFERENT RAISED POSITIONS. 